Israelis mark 15th anniversary of Begin’s death

Friday, March 09, 2007 |
by Staff Writer

Today, Israelis will mark the 15th anniversary of the death of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin who died on March 9, 1992.

In commemoration of his death, the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem republished one of his first booklets, “Menachem Begin - Worldview, National Perspective and Fundamental Principles,” which has been out of print for years. The publication contains the philosophy and political program of Begin’s early days in politics as he outlined as the then leader of Herut at his party's second convention, held on February 26, 1951..

As party chairman, Begin began his address by dealing with current affairs, then stopped and said he wanted to discuss the fundamental problem of the Jewish state in its homeland. A few weeks later, the speech was serialized in Herut, the party newspaper, and then published as a booklet.

A copy of the original booklet is on display in the Begin Heritage Center.

Begin headed the Irgun, the Jewish underground paramilitary organization, in fighting for Israel’s independence. He was also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, negotiating the Camp David Accords with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. He agreed to a full Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula in 1978. After 17 years of a socialist, Labor-controlled government, Begin became the first right-wing prime minister of Israel as head of the Likud party.

Following Begin’s death, the Menachem Begin Heritage Center was built, established as a living memorial. The center honors the life, deeds, words, leadership, integrity and modesty of Begin and his contribution to the State of Israel.

Want more news from Israel?Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates